A Form 16 download is done by your employer, not by you: the employer logs in to TRACES with its TAN, downloads Part A, adds Part B from payroll and sends you the signed PDF by 15 June. There is no public site where an employee can enter a PAN number and download Form 16.
What you can download yourself is Form 26AS, along with the Annual Information Statement (AIS), which show the same salary TDS and are enough to file your return if the certificate is late. This page covers both routes for FY 2025-26 salary. For what the form contains, see what Form 16 means, and for the full topic, the Form 16 hub.
Quick facts
Who downloads it
The employer, from TRACESEmployee gets it from
HR or payroll, usually by email or the staff portalDeadline to issue
15 June for FY 2025-26 salaryDownload by PAN
Not possible for employeesEmployee alternative
Form 26AS and AIS from the e-filing portalPensioners
From the bank or office that pays the pension
Where to get Form 16
| You are | Where to get it |
|---|---|
| Salaried employee | Your employer's HR or payroll team |
| Former employee who left during the year | The old employer; ask HR or the accounts team by email |
| Pensioner | The bank or treasury that pays your pension and deducts TDS |
| Employee of a closed business | Use Form 26AS and AIS instead |
Many people search for a PF Form 16 download. The provident fund office does not issue Form 16. Your employer does, and if a PF withdrawal had TDS, that appears in Form 26AS as a separate entry.
How employers do the Form 16 download from TRACES
HR or the accounts team follows these steps once the fourth quarter Form 24Q return is processed:
- Sign in to TRACES as the deductor, using the TAN, user ID and password.
- Open the Downloads menu and choose Form 16.
- Select financial year 2025-26, then search by one PAN or ask for a bulk download for all employees.
- Complete the KYC check using the token number of the quarter's TDS return and the challan or PAN details asked for.
- Go to Requested Downloads, and once the status shows available, save the file.
- Open the file with the TRACES PDF generation utility to create Part A PDFs, then merge each with its Part B and sign digitally.
Part B is not on TRACES. It comes from payroll, so employers need both pieces before the certificate is complete.
How to download Form 16 details yourself: Form 26AS and AIS
If your certificate has not arrived, the tax credit side of it is already visible to you online:
- Use your own PAN to enter the e-filing portal.
- For Form 26AS, go to the e-File menu, pick Income Tax Returns, and select View Form 26AS, then confirm the move to TRACES and pick View Tax Credit.
- Choose AY 2026-27 and the PDF or HTML format, then view or export.
- For AIS: open Services, then Annual Information Statement, then the AIS tab.
- Download the PDF. The AIS file opens with a password of your PAN in small letters plus your date of birth in the DDMMYYYY form.
The salary entry in AIS and Form 26AS shows the employer's TAN, the gross salary it reported and the TDS deposited. It will not show exemptions or deductions, which only Part B does. More on these statements is on the AIS and Form 26AS page.
Example: filing without waiting for Form 16
Vikram left his job in November and his old employer has not sent Form 16 for FY 2025-26. His Form 26AS shows salary of ₹6,40,000 and TDS of ₹8,100 under that employer's TAN. His new employer's Form 16 shows ₹5,10,000 salary and ₹14,600 TDS.
He adds both: salary ₹11,50,000, TDS ₹22,700. In the new regime, he claims the ₹75,000 standard deduction once, so taxable income is ₹10,75,000.
Tax: ₹20,000 + 10% of ₹2,75,000 (₹27,500) = ₹47,500. Rebate under 87A wipes it out, since income is under ₹12 lakh. Tax payable nil, and the full ₹22,700 TDS becomes his refund claim.
How to download Form 16 online when something goes wrong
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Employer says Form 16 is not ready in June | Ask whether the fourth quarter TDS return was filed by 31 May; Part A cannot be generated before it is processed |
| The PDF shows the signature as not verified | Open it in a PDF reader that checks digital signatures; the content is still valid |
| Employer has closed or will not respond | File using Form 26AS and AIS, and keep salary slips as backup |
| Part A shows less TDS than your payslips | The employer short deposited; raise it in writing with HR |
| You need an old year's Form 16 | Ask the employer; TRACES lets deductors download past years too |
Download Form 16 from ITR or with a PAN number: what is possible
Two common searches have the same answer. You cannot download Form 16 from your filed ITR, because the return does not hold the certificate. You also cannot download Form 16 using your PAN number on any government site, as TRACES gives that function only to the deductor. What the portal does give you is the filed return and acknowledgement, Form 26AS, AIS and the Taxpayer Information Summary, which together hold every figure you need to file.
Form 130 for tax year 2026-27 salary
From tax year 2026-27, salary certificates are issued as Form 130 under the Income-tax Rules, 2026. Expect the same routine: the employer downloads its part from TRACES after the last quarterly return and hands you the certificate by 15 June following that tax year. Any certificate covering FY 2025-26 pay remains a Form 16.
This is a general guide to getting your salary TDS certificate, not tax advice. Portal menus can change, so go by what the live screens show, and take help from a chartered accountant where needed.
Sources we checked
- Income-tax Act, 1961, section 203
- Income-tax Rules, 1962, rule 31
- TRACES deductor help: Form 16 download
- e-Filing portal help: Annual Information Statement
- Income-tax Rules, 2026, Form 130
Frequently asked questions
How to download Form 16 using PAN number?
Employees cannot. Form 16 can be downloaded from TRACES only by the employer, using its TAN. You can download Form 26AS and AIS with your own PAN login, which show the same TDS.
Where to download Form 16 for salaried employees?
Ask your HR or payroll team; they download Part A from TRACES and send the full PDF. Many employers also upload it to their staff portal.
How to get Form 16 online if my employer has not sent it?
Remind HR in writing after 15 June. Meanwhile, download Form 26AS and AIS from the e-filing portal and file your ITR from those figures.
Can I get Form 16 Part B download from TRACES?
No. TRACES produces only Part A. Part B is prepared by the employer from its payroll records.
Is there a Form 16 format download for employers?
The blank format is in the Income-tax Rules. In practice employers download Part A from TRACES and attach a Part B prepared by payroll or accounting software in the prescribed layout.